It was only an accident when Charles Goodyear (yes, the person who made the tyres on your car) mixed sulfur, lead and rubber on a hot surface that the formerly- natural rubber acquired a more usable consistency and texture. Goodyear dubbed this process 'vulcanization'. Vulcanization can be defined as the process of treating rubber with sulfur with a high heat using sulfur/ other 'curatives' to improve elasticity, strength and/or durability of the rubber.
Today, most of the rubber in this world is used for commercial/ domestic purposes and is produced synthetically. There are about 20 types of synthetic rubber, all classified according to their intended use and thus, their quality, and only one type of natural rubber.
Rubber bands are simply short lenghts of rubber, calcium carbonate, carbon black, clay, sulfur, stearic acid, zinc oxide, wax and oil formed into a loop (mentioned in previously in another post). These ingredients are put into a tube and mixed in a pressurized steam tank through the process of 'vulcanization'. When this is done, the tube is cut into rings to form the rubber bands that we know.
References:
- http://science.jrank.org/pages/7266/Vulcanization.html, vulcanization- rubber as a natural product, Date accessed [30th March 2010]
- Mark,J.E., Erman B. and Eirich F.R. (1994), Science and Technology of Rubber: 2nd edition, Academic Press Limited, London
- http://www.essortment.com/all/historyofrubbe_rcml.htm, history and development of rubber, Date accessed [30th March 2010]
- http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/rubber-band, history and development of rubber bands, Date accessed [31st March 2010].
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